Lovestruck Three!
by AmaranthPrincess21
Summary: When their school has a talent show, Marinette and Alya band together with Rose to make the school idol group Lovestruck Three! Although their main objective is to help Rose win Juleka's heart, Marinette hopes to catch Adrien's. But can she do it?
1. Start:DASH!

Excitement buzzed in the air as the class huddled around a flyer announcing a talent show. The past five years, the collège hadn't had one. Rumors had floated around that there had been a fire in the auditorium due to an act gone wrong, but no one had confirmed or denied that. No one at the school had been present when it happened, so there was no telling what had gone on. But the return of the talent show was welcome. No, it was _praised._ Marinette had never seen her classmates so happy before.

"Dude, we need to enter!" Nino said to Adrien, grabbing his friend's arm excitedly. "We could do something really awesome!"

"I'd love to! But what would we do?" Adrien asked.

"Music, duh! I'm a DJ master, you're a piano prodigy. We can figure something out." _It would be a dream to be in an act with Adrien,_ Marinette thought, a small smile on her lips as she looked at him. Nino's eyes flitted to Alya and Marinette, a devilish grin on his lips. That wiped the smile off of her face. "What about you guys? Are you going to enter?"

"Of course we are! Our act's going to be awesome!" The words were out of Marinette's mouth before she could stop herself. Adrien gave her a warm smile that made her knees turn to jelly.

"I can't wait to see it! I'm sure whatever you guys do will be awesome," he said. Nino quickly signed themselves up for the show before leaving. It was then that the gravity of Marinette's mistake hit her like a train. She had no act planned and now they were expecting something spectacular. _Frick my life,_ she groaned.

"Gah, Alya! Why didn't you stop me?!" Marinette demanded, grabbing Alya's shoulders.

"You gotta learn to control your mouth," Alya sighed. "So, what are we doing for the talent show?"

"I don't know. My only talent is designing." That and gymnastics, but Alya didn't know that and Marinette wasn't sure if she could even do incredible flips and handsprings outside of her activated Miraculous.

"We'll find something. And who knows, maybe your hidden talent will make Adrien fall in love with you," Alya teased. Marinette squeaked and hid her face behind her hand.

"Don't say that out loud! Someone might hear you!" she hissed.

"Everyone already knows so I don't see what the problem is, but okay," Alya said. "You know, I used to do dance when I was little. Maybe we could do that."

"I-I guess." It wasn't like there were many options other than that. Marinette just hoped she didn't make a complete fool of herself.

"You guys are going to dance?" Rose asked from behind them. They turned to her. Juleka was nowhere in sight; that almost never happened, but Marinette guessed that maybe she had something to go to straight after school.

"Yeah, probably! We've got a few weeks until the show, so we have time to make up our minds," Alya said.

"That's sounds like so much fun!" she exclaimed. "Maybe we could team up! I was thinking of dancing, anyway."

"Sure!" Marinette said. She would have said yes regardless, but seeing joy light up Rose's face made her feel even happier that the small blonde was joining them.

"You've got to be kidding me. You're all going to dance? That'll be a disaster." Marinette gritted her teeth as Chloé opened her mouth.

"You know what, Chloé? We're going to have the best act this school has ever seen," Marinette said, bringing herself to full height. Chloé snorted and gave her a skeptical look. Even if it was just to spite her, Marinette decided to put her whole being into this act.

"Sure it will," she said with that annoying, condescending smirk of hers. She pushed past Kim and Alix and signed herself up for the talent show. As soon as she was out of the way, bumping into Alya in the process of leaving, the three let Kim and Alix sign up before going to the paper. Putting down their real names was easy, but deciding a group name had them stumped.

"Maybe we should do a portmanteau of our names," Alya suggested. "Maroya?"

"Ehh . . ." Marinette shrugged.

"We need something cuter," Rose said. She paused for a moment, biting her lower lip before perking up, snapping her fingers. "I've got it!" Taking the pen from Marinette, she jotted down their group name on the talent show sign-up sheet.

Lovestruck Three!


	2. Love Novels

Marinette never realized just how small her room was until she, Rose, and Alya were all sitting on the floor, a plate of cookies between them as they tried to come up with ideas. If they had dance rehearsals here, they wouldn't have a lot of wiggle room.

"So, what're we going to dance to?" Alya brought up.

"Do we know what everyone else is doing? We should try to do something really different," Rose pointed out.

"I don't know about Adrien and Nino. They're keeping their act a secret," Alya shrugged. "Chloé is singing something, Kim and Alix don't know what they're doing yet, and Mylène and Ivan are singing a duet."

"Are they doing choreography?" Rose asked, a peculiar look on her face. It looked almost like a poker face, but there was something incredibly deliberate about it and for some reason, it unnerved Marinette.

"I don't think so," Alya said.

"How come?" Marinette asked. Immediately the poker face vanished. Rose blushed and her eyes darted to the ground.

"I, um, I . . . I was thinking maybe we could sing and dance. You know, like those girl groups," she suggested.

"That'd be amazing!" Alya cried before Marinette could protest. _I have to sing_ and _dance?! Oh no, they're trying to kill me,_ she silently groaned, trying to keep her composure. _But . . . . If it gets Adrien's attention in a good way . . . Maybe I can do it . . ._

"I've been thinking about a song already," Rose continued, taking her phone out of her pocket and putting the song on. It was upbeat and sounded cheery, albeit a little childish. She recognized the cover art; it was from _Love Live!,_ that anime Adrien was talking about all the time. _This will definitely capture his heart,_ the romantic in her said. _He'll see you singing and dancing this and he'll fall head over heels!_

" _Love Live!?_ I didn't know you watched it," Alya said to Rose.

"I-I, well, I've only played the game. Juleka really likes the show though, but don't tell her I told you that!" she said. Alya glanced at Marinette, a mischievous smile on her face.

"I think Adrien likes it too," she teased and Marinette felt her face flare with color.

"It's okay, Marinette!" Rose seemed pretty intune to her distress. She grabbed her hands. "I . . . Well, I have to be honest. I want to do this song because it's Juleka's favorite, and I . . . I love her and I hope I can confess through this song." Alya and Marinette squeaked. _Rose and Juleka, together? Talk about the cutest couple ever!_ Marinette thought. _They're perfect for each other!_

"We have to do it then!" Alya looked beside herself with giddiness.

"Yeah! We're going to get you a girlfriend!" Marinette said. Rose's eyes were watering and she pulled the two into a hug.

"Thank you so much! I was so scared you'd be mad at me," she admitted. "This means so much to me." She choked back a sob, but Marinette could feel her sleeves getting wet where Rose was nuzzling.

"Don't worry about it! We're the Lovestruck Three! We fight for love and happiness," Marinette told her, making the blonde laugh.

"And I hope we get Adrien to notice you too, Marinette! And Alya, I know you like Nino! I hope we all find love because of this," Rose said.

"What?! I don't like Nino!" Alya defended herself. Marinette snorted and put her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"'Everyone already knows so I don't see what the problem is, but okay,'" she repeated Alya's words at her. The brunette pouted, but said nothing.

Night seemed to come quickly. The three barely had enough time to make a rehearsal schedule and divvy up jobs before they had to go home for dinner. Alya would be the choreographer, Rose would get a backtrack and lyrics for them, and Marinette was in charge of making costumes. She'd only seen bits of Love Live!, and she knew she wanted to something in the same vein of it, but not exactly the same.

She sat at her desk, sketchbook in front of her as she worked on some designs. Everything was pretty frilly and girly, and while she liked it and she knew Rose would, Marinette could already hear Alya protesting. _Maybe I should swap the skirt out for shorts. It'll be easier to dance that way, anyway._ she thought. She erased the skirt and put some poofy shorts in its place. _Well, that's a little less feminine._

 _Tap, tap, tap._

Marinette perked up. The sharp sound of something hard hitting glass shot through her room. A quick glance at the windows proved nothing was there and there was no damage. Looking up at her trapdoor, she could see two bright green eyes staring at her. _Chat Noir? What's he doing here?_ She got up and unlocked the trapdoor, letting him inside.

"Hello, purr-incess," he said as he bowed to her.

"What are you doing here?" She flinched, realizing how harsh that came out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that in a bad way. I just want to know why you're here."

"Can't I check up on one of my two favorite ladies of all of Paris?" he asked. _One of his two favorites? Why does he think of me so highly? I barely know him,_ she thought.

"That's an awfully specific detail," she said. He sat down on the small staircase to her bed, grinning at her.

"I suppose it is."

"Is there an akuma nearby?"

"No. I just wanted to see you. I haven't seen you since the Evillustrator incident and I thought we were overdue for a chat," he explained. _He wanted to see me?_ "Why do you look so confused?"

"I can't imagine you're here just because you wanted to see me," she said bluntly.

"Then your imagination is limited," he replied. "So, what are you up to on this fine evening?" Clearly, if he had an ulterior motive for visiting her, he wasn't going to give it up. _I might as well drop it. Maybe I can get it out of him later as Ladybug, or something,_ she thought.

"Nothing, really. Just working on some costume sketches for a talent show," she replied.

"You're making costumes for a talent show?" She rolled her eyes at his goofy grin.

"I mean I'm making costumes for my group and I'm working on that, Mr. Specific," she said. She sat down at her desk and he joined her, looming over her shoulder. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. In all honesty, it felt kind of good on cold nights like this.

"What are you guys doing for it?" he asked curiously.

"A few friends and I are singing and dancing to a song from this anime." _Wow, that sounded a lot more nerdy than I wanted it too,_ she thought.

"What anime?"

"Are you well-versed in it?" she asked back. He grinned and leaned down beside her.

"You could say I have a fantastic internet connection and almost no friends," he said. She laughed, as horrible as his self-deprecation was.

"It's from _Love Live!"_ His face lit up.

"Who's your bias?"

"My what?"

"Your bias. You know, your favorite μ's girl." She gave him a blank look. "Have you seen _Love Live!?"_

"No."

"Well, that explains it. It's cute. You'd like it." He gave her a saucy smile. "Maybe we could marathon it together."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," she smiled back. His fingers were playing with the corner of the page in her sketchbook as his gaze went from her to her drawings.

"These are really good," he told her.

"Thanks," she replied.

"I might just come to the talent show just to see these costumes. And my princess, of course. I'd love to see you sing and dance. Maybe you could give me a little preview of what you have?" He winked at her. She laughed and shook her head.

"Even if I wanted to, we haven't gotten anything done besides choosing a song," she said.

"Darn. I was really looking forward to hearing that pretty voice of yours sing," he said and she felt fluttering in her stomach. The kind she got when she was with Adrien.

"Maybe next time, kitty," she said cryptically. He grinned and kissed her hand.

"Next time," he repeated.


	3. after school NAVIGATORS!

The next day Adrien couldn't get rid of the pit growing in his stomach. He didn't need anyone to tell him it was guilt: ever since he'd gotten back from Marinette's, he'd felt awful. Not only had he abused his powers, but he'd intruded on her privacy and did it just so he could figure out what her group was doing for the talent show. He knew full well if he'd asked as Adrien, she'd panic. Even though she was far more comfy with him now, he still knew what she'd do. Of course he'd wanted to see her; he cherished his time with her. But it still felt like a low blow to get intel that way and that wasn't even going into how horrible he felt for crushing on Marinette when he was still in love with Ladybug.

"So I found this song and it's right up our alley. It's called 'Echo,'" Nino was saying. He was still banned from the Agreste Manor, but Adrien's father hadn't banned Skype calls. Adrien was in the music room, his laptop open on a music stand as he sat at the piano. Nino was in his room at the makeshift turntables he'd made himself. "I'm thinking we can break it up into a few parts. Like, you'll play the piano and I'll do a remix of it, or something."

"That sounds good to me. Can you send me the sheet music?" Adrien asked.

"I'm on it." Nino looked at his computer intently, browsing for files. "So, I talked to Alya again and she's staying tight-lipped what they're doing for the show. I know you told me she'd stay quiet and as much as I hate to admit it, you can say I told you so."

"I'll gloat later."

"I kept trying to get her to tell me, but she wouldn't tell me _anything._ You'd think she's afraid we'll take her idea."

"She's probably not saying anything because they don't have a lot done," Adrien replied. It was only when Nino raised an eyebrow at him did he realize his mistake.

"Wait, do you know what they're doing?" he demanded. Adrien squirmed in his seat.

"I, uh, yeah," he admitted.

"How?!"

"Er, Marinette was talking to me about it," he said. Nino broke out into a huge grin, one Adrien knew only led to trouble.

"You've started talking to Marinette?"

"Yeah." He knew he was digging himself deeper and deeper into this hole, but what else was he supposed to say? That he'd turned into Chat Noir and went to Marinette's house late last night to get the info? That he'd wanted to talk to her without all the stammering? He just hoped Nino wouldn't mention it to Marinette. Unless . . .

"When did this start happening?" Nino demanded.

"Just yesterday." It wasn't a complete lie and somehow that comforted him. It wasn't like he was totally lying to Nino. Their Skype chat pinged with a new received file and Adrien quickly downloaded it.

"Good for you, man! I've been saying for months that you and her need to start talking."

The Skype call lasted for a few hours, finally ending when Nino's parents called him for dinner. They'd gotten the first chunk of their act done, and for that Adrien was grateful. The sooner they got it done, the more time they'd have to rehearse. Not to mention he didn't want to move all his stuff back into his room. It was lazy, he knew, but he'd do it later. He picked up his phone to unlock it and quickly texted Alya.

Adrien: Hey Alya, it's Adrien. I was wondering if I could have Marinette's phone number please. I'd like to talk to her.

 _God, that sounded formal,_ he thought as he hit send. He had wanted to text her as soon as Nino had brought up talking with Marinette, but that would have looked suspicious. Well, it would have in Adrien's eyes. And if it was obvious to him, surely it would be obvious to everyone else?

The door creaked open. Adrien expected it to be Nathalie calling him to dinner but instead found his father poking his head in.

"I thought I heard music," he said tersely, stepping inside.

"Yeah. I thought I would practice a little," he said. He could have died happy right then and there. His father was talking to him? His father was actually giving him attention?

"I didn't recognize the music. Was it something you found on your own?" he asked.

"It's for the talent show at school," Adrien replied. Gabriel nodded, pulling out his phone from his pocket.

"When is it?" Adrien tried not to get excited as he told his father the date. Did this mean he was interested in going? Gabriel flipped through his calendar.

"I don't have any meetings that day. I'll attend it if you're performing." He got up and left the room, leaving Adrien sitting at the piano with fire going through his body. His father was going to attend?

"Adrien, are you okay? You're shaking." Plagg poked his head out from behind the laptop. Adrien glanced down and realized his hands were trembling.

"I-I'm just really happy," he said, managing not to shout but God, did he want to. His father had never shown this much interest in him before! He was making an effort for his son in what felt like the first time ever. Adrien needed to tell someone. He needed to freak out with someone. And when his phone lit up with a text from Alya, he knew exactly who he could talk to.

He'd never saved and dialled a number so quickly. Each ring seemed to drag on for hours as he impatiently waited, knee bouncing up and down quickly.

"Isn't she just going to panic when she picks up and finds out it's you?" Plagg pointed out. Adrien froze. That's right. She wasn't good at talking to Adrien. She was only good at talking to Chat Noir.

"Hi, it's Marinette! Leave a message! Beep!" her voice came in from the phone. Too late to back out now.

"Hey, Marinette, it's uh, it's Adrien! Alya gave me your number and I wanted to talk to you. I'll just text you. Unless you want to call me back! No pressure, though! I mean . . . uh, talk to you later." He hurriedly hung up. _Why do I feel so nervous,_ he asked himself. He'd never gotten nervous with her before. "Thanks, Plagg. Your comment tripped me up," he blamed his kwami.

"Don't blame me for your mistakes," Plagg replied. Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes.

As he practiced the piano, he noticed himself glancing at his phone to see if it would light up. _It'll chime if she calls back,_ he told himself, but despite that, his green eyes would flit over to the screen and hope for a new message or call. It wasn't until after dinner that he got his wish and she texted him back.

Marinette: Sorry I missed your call! I was out with Alya and Rose! Is something wrong?

Adrien: No, nothing's wrong! I just wanted to talk.

Marinette: About?

Adrien: My dad's coming to the talent show.

Marinette: Really?! :D

Adrien: Really! He came in while I was practicing piano for mine and Nino's act and he said he'd go!

Marinette: That's awesome!

Adrien: I know! :)

God, he was wishing he'd started texting her sooner. With this, she didn't have to panic and stammer around him. Or maybe she was freaking out on the other end and he just didn't know. _What if she is,_ he thought worriedly. _What if she's freaking out and just humoring me by texting me?_

Marinette: So what are you and Nino doing for the talent show?

 _She texted me back. That means she wants to talk to me, right?_

Adrien: It's a secret.

Marinette: Okay, I'll just ask Nino.

Adrien: He's not going to tell you anything. But I guess if you tell me what you're doing I'll tell you what we're doing.

Marinette: And get mauled by Alya? No thanks.

Adrien: I won't tell anyone, I promise.

Adrien: I'm not above bribing you. I'll bring you a box of macaroons if you tell me.

Marinette: My parents are bakers.

Adrien: I meant to say bonbons.  
Marinette: Sure you did.


	4. Cutie Panther

A week had passed and to say Marinette was on cloud nine was an understatement. She'd been outright shocked when Adrien called her that night and since then, they'd been texting nonstop. Heck, she'd even stopped stammering whenever she was around him! Sure, she was still a little shy and stayed a little reserved, but being able to talk to him through a phone felt much more liberating. She didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing and backtracking. She could just edit her words before she sent them.

Music was blaring out of Marinette's speakers as the girls danced in the small space they had. It was almost impossible to do their moves without hitting each other. Marinette had bruises all along her arms from rehearsals, but it wasn't until Rose tripped on the latch of the trapdoor did Marinette and Alya agree that they needed to move rehearsals.

"But where are we going to go?" Rose asked as she rested on the chaise. "I don't have room at my house."

"Neither do I, but maybe we can go to the park," Alya suggested.

"The park? But what if someone sees us?" Marinette said. The thought of practicing in front of others made her stomach feel sick.

"If you can't practice in front of people, how will you be able to perform in front of an audience?" Alya demanded, putting her hands on her hips. _She's right,_ Marinette thought, defeated.

"But she has a point. What if Juleka sees us?" Rose asked. "That'll ruin the surprise."

"Doesn't she live on the other side of Seine?" Alya asked in return.

"Well, _yeah,_ but -"

"It'd be worse if we got on stage and looked like crap because we didn't practice right," Alya argued. Rose sighed, slowly nodding.

"That's a good point. Okay, let's go."

The park was fairly empty when the girls got there and it didn't take long to figure out why. A photographer, a few lighting assistants, and none other than Gabriel and Adrien Agreste having a photoshoot in the park meant only a few people occupied the space. Marinette squeaked when she saw them, nearly dropping the speakers and Rose's iPod. _Oh God, they're here,_ she thought. Alya put her hand on her shoulder, as if picking up on Marinette's distress.

"I guess we'll just have to put on a great show," was all she said, winking while Marinette gawked at her.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" Rose asked nervously, wringing her hands.

"They can't close off the park. At least, they didn't when we came by during one of Adrien's shoots," Alya said with a shrug. "We're staying until they kick us out."

"But what about our secret? I thought you didn't want anyone to know what we were doing," Marinette said.

"It's Adrien. If we ask, he'll keep his mouth shut around Nino. Now put those speakers down and let's rehearse. We need to work before it gets dark." Marinette pouted but complied, placing the speakers down and adjusting the volume. The last thing she wanted was to attract the attention of the photography crew. But as she went to get into place next to Rose, she saw Adrien staring at her. He waved and she sheepishly waved back, giving him an apologetic look.

The music started up and Marinette already had blood pounding in her veins. She could feel Adrien's eyes on her and the thought of him watching made her stomach knot itself. _Don't focus on him! Just try and get through this run-through,_ she told herself sternly. Their cue to start singing came and Marinette knew her cheeks were red as she sang with Alya and Rose, their bodies move in sync with one another. She tried to ignore Adrien's loud, excited gasp as he heard them. Marinette glanced at Alya and saw her smirking. Rose, on the other hand, looked embarrassed too. _At least Alya's keeping it together._

Marinette pushed Adrien from her mind and danced, making sure to put extra energy into the motions and a little bit of flirtatiousness into the hip movements. The girls turned around, matching each other's motions and Marinette caught Adrien watching them, an encouraging smile on his face. And it wasn't just encouraging, it was the smile of someone who was impressed. Her heartbeat quickened and she kept eye contact with him as she and her dance partners did their little booty wiggle before turning back to face the speakers. She knew it wasn't something she wasn't done and with her embarrassment also came a rush of exhilaration. If she was able to do that while keeping eye contact with him, what else did she now have the courage to do?

They struck their final pose at the end of the second chorus and Marinette expected to hear applause, but heard nothing but her and her friends' panting. _Adrien's probably having to do something for the photoshoot,_ she rationalized, but still felt a little disappointed when he didn't applaud them. Glancing back, her suspicions were confirmed as Adrien sat on the edge of the fountain, looking back at his photographer with a fake smile plastered on his face. _When did his eyes start looking so sad?_

Marinette sighed in relief as she cut the threads from her talent show costume. _One down, two to go,_ she thought.

She heard tapping on the glass above her bed. Once again, she saw the bright green eyes of Chat Noir staring back at her.

"I'm sorry for coming so late. I had trouble getting away from home," he said as he plopped down onto her bed. A bouquet of pink roses was clenched tightly in his hand. "I thought you might like these."

"I, um, thank you, Chat," she replied, grabbing them and going to put them down on her desk. "What brings you here? Let me guess, you wanted to see your purr-incess?"

"I always want to see my princess," he grinned. "But actually, I came for a specific reason." The corners of her lips curled into a smirk.

"Oh?"

"I was out patrolling the city today when I saw someone dancing in the park." Her face blossomed in color.

"I-I didn't see you," she replied.

"Stealth is my middle name," he said. "I came here to ask for a private show." Why did he have to phrase it like that?

"I, uh, well . . ." She did need the practice. And the smile he was giving her was making her willpower melt into a puddle of nothingness. "Okay, just this once." Chat was so pretty when he smiled. He would glow and the way it lit up his eyes was incredible.

"Can I see you in your costume?" he asked as he sat down at her desk.

"Might as well. I need to make sure I can move in it. But . . ." She grabbed a pillow from her chaise and threw it at him. He quickly caught it. "You need to put your face in this while I chance."

"Can do, little lady," he said. He stayed true to his word, head buried in her pillow as she changed out of pajamas and into her costume. The nerves in her stomach acted up. It was weird to be changing in front of a boy, even if he had his face hidden behind a thick pillow. _Relax, he can't see through it,_ she told herself, but that didn't quell her nerves. She put the bow in her hair and glanced in the mirror. The costume fit well and glancing in the mirror, it looked good on.

"Okay, you can look," she told him. He put the pillow in his lap, eagerly looking up at her. She expected him to give her a seductive grin and make a remark on how she looked, but his face fell and his face became blank. "Does it look that bad?" she asked.

"No! N-no. It looks really nice I . . . I-I guess I was just starstruck for a moment." Was he _blushing?_ Chat Noir, of all people, blushing? And not because of Ladybug, but because of her? Marinette felt something stir in her stomach and resonate through her body. Something that she only felt with Adrien and something she quickly tried to ignore by turning on her music and starting to dance.

It felt so bizarre dancing for one person and one person only. His eyes burned into her like Adrien's had earlier that afternoon and she felt obligated to keep eye contact with him. When she stopped, he enthusiastically clapped, another smile lighting up his face.

"You're going to be amazing!" he exclaimed. "You already look incredible."

"Thank you," she breathed. He had so much adoration in his eyes and all of it was meant for her. Not Ladybug, not anyone else, but her, and that sparked a fluttering heart and a sense of giddiness.

"Would you teach me the dance?" he asked with wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Why? Do you want to join us on stage?" she giggled.

"I'd give anything to dance with you, but I'd like to spend more time with you and it'd be rude for you to dance for me for hours," he said.

"That's true." She cocked her hip, folding her hands in front of her chest. "Come on, kitty. Let's see how well you can follow directions."

By the time they finished, it was three am and Marinette felt like she was ready to drop dead. He bid her farewell and as soon as he got on her balcony she threw herself down onto her bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long, long day.


	5. Anemone heart

Last night had been a dream. They had danced together and she had let him in, completely let him into her world. Adrien still couldn't believe it had happened. The soft touches she gave when she corrected him, the giggles they had when he did something purposefully wrong, just the act of dancing together late at night. He'd never felt that kind of intimacy before and the thought of it made his blood simmer pleasantly in his veins.

The only unpleasant thing, however, was waking up after only getting a few hours of sleep. Sleep was weighing his eyes down and his eyes stung from too little rest. It would definitely be a coffee-filled morning. Adrien was fighting to stay awake as his driver pulled up to the school and he got out, dragging his feet as he joined Nino.

"Dude, how late did you stay up last night?" he asked as the two made their way to their classroom.

"I got home at three am," Adrien replied. Nino whistled.

"You gotta tell your dad he's pushing you too hard. Photoshoots that last that long aren't good for you," he said. He held the door open for the blond and they filed into their usual seats. Alya was already sitting behind them, but there was no sign of Marinette. "Excuse me for a moment." Nino slid into Marinette's usual seat, talking to Alya about something. Adrien zoned out, head resting on his hand and trying not to fall asleep. Marinette trudged into the classroom looking just as tired as he felt. Her blue eyes flitted to Alya and Nino and she took a seat next to Adrien.

"Morning," she said somberly as she pulled her tablet out of her bag.

"You didn't get sleep either?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I was up late rehearsing," she explained. _And dancing with me,_ Adrien added in his head, but said nothing out loud.

"You look great dancing. I don't think you need to practice that much," he said. She blushed ever so slightly.

"I just want to make sure I'm perfect by the talent show," she replied. Mme. Bustier entered the room and Adrien figured he'd be sitting with Marinette for the rest of the class. Not that that was bad, but now he didn't have Nino to help keep him awake. Things got worse as Mme. Bustier passed out a packet to everyone, leaving them to their own devices as she sat at her desk and graded the essays she should have had done a week ago.

Adrien's body ached. He'd probably pushed himself too hard last night. _There better not be an akuma attack today,_ he groaned. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep. The coffee he'd had with breakfast had done nothing. If anything, he felt more tired. His body slumped sideways, bumping into Marinette. He jumped back, sitting up straight.

"Sorry, I'm just tired," he apologized.

"No, it's fine. If you . . . uh, it's okay if you want to rest on my shoulder for a bit," she stammered, eyes trained on her packet. He didn't waste a second, crashing against her and using her for support. He'd buy her chocolate later today to make up for this. Maybe he'd take her home and they could have lunch together. Or even take her out to dinner, but that would take more confidence to do and he wasn't _that_ confident.

They worked in silence, pencils scratching against the paper as they answered questions about literary devices and other nonsense that made Adrien want to scream. Marinette was so nice and warm and all he wanted to do was snuggle up to her and sleep. He could feel more pressure against his arm; clearly, she was using him for support too. Adrien took a risk, dropping his head and letting it rest on her shoulder. He could hear her breath hitch ever so slightly. She did nothing to stop him and so he didn't bother moving. Now he understood why couples were always so touchy in public. It was wonderful to have physical affection. He didn't know the last time he'd ever done this.

Adrien's eyes were burning painfully, screaming at him to rest. _I'll be fine if I close them for a few seconds,_ he thought. It felt like heaven as he shut his eyes.

The next thing he knew someone was shouting his name. He jerked, eyes shooting open. When had he lied down? He could feel pressure on top of him and glancing up, he saw Marinette, startled and lying on top of his side. Oh God, _he was lying on her lap._ Mme. Bustier looked furious as the two quickly sat up. The class was laughing and Adrien felt heat slither up his neck and onto his face.

"The principal's office! _Now!"_ she said, pointing to the door. He wasted no time grabbing his bag and hightailing it out of there. Marinette was hot on his heels, following him out.

"I'm sorry," he said to her as they made their way to the office.

"There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I got us in trouble and I was sleeping on you, and -"

"Adrien, it's not a big deal. I was sleeping on you too. It's both of our faults," she told him. He sighed.

"Nathalie's going to kill me when she finds out about this," he groaned. Marinette put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure she won't be that mad," she said, but she didn't know Nathalie. She was going to be furious when she found out. Already they could hear Principal Damocles yelling at another unfortunate soul. The two leaned against the wall outside his office, waiting for him to be available.

"I guess." It was better to let it drop than to continue on. She didn't need to know the full extent of his homelife.

"Why were you up so late?" Marinette asked.

"I, uh, I was at a photoshoot," he lied. "The photographer was taking his time with each shot and I got home late because of it."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault," he shrugged. He felt bad for lying but he couldn't own up and tell her that he'd been dancing with her last night. As much as he wanted to tell her, he knew he couldn't. Not yet. Adrien trusted her, but revealing that he was Chat Noir was a huge decision. One that would take days to decide and whose consequences would never go away. So Adrien leaned against the wall with her, both talking about meaningless things and the strong desire for a nap.

As soon as she got out of detention that afternoon, Marinette sprinted to the park to join Rose and Alya for rehearsal.

"Are you okay?" Rose inquired.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had to write an essay about not sleeping in class," Marinette replied. "Did I miss anything?"

"Yeah, I started teaching Rose the last part of the dance, but it's nothing I can't reteach," Alya replied. "You know, I'm kinda surprised. I thought Adrien would have walked you over here before going home."

"He's got a photo shoot today," she replied.

"I see," Alya nodded slightly.

"And you're sure he hasn't said anything about our act to Juleka or Nino?" Rose asked nervously.

"I made him promise not to say anything and he's kept his word," Marinette answered. She put her hand on Rose's shoulder. "Don't worry. It'll still be a surprise when Juleka sees it." Rose visibly relaxed and nodded, a large smile on her face.

As the girls rehearsed, learned, and fine-tuned their routine, the Parisian skies began to darken. Marinette prayed it wouldn't rain, or that it'd hold off until they all got home safely.

But today it seemed like luck wasn't on her side.

Three hours of teasing gray skies finally gave way to rain. Alya shrieked, ripping her sweatshirt off and bundling Marinette's speakers and Rose's iPod in a safe cotton prison. _Oh, COME ON!_ Marinette thought angrily as the girls huddled under a tree thick with leaves to protect themselves. _First detention, now this?!_ A black, sleek limo approach the park and Marinette wanted to scream right then and there. It didn't take a genius to realize that was most likely Adrien's ride home. The limo slowed and eventually stopped. Adrien poked his head out of the window.

"Do you guys need a ride home?!" he shouted to them. Marinette had never moved so fast, sprinting to the car alongside Rose and Alya. Adrien through the limo door open and the girls filed in.

"I can't believe it rained on us!" Alya said, throwing her hands in the air and slumping in her seat. "This is unbelievable!"

"It did say we had a thirty percent chance on the news today," Rose pointed out.

"That's barely anything, though," Alya grumbled. "Mar, can I crash at your house?"

"Can I stay too? My dad has a big conference call that goes until dinner," Rose asked.

"Do you guys still want to practice? You can rehearse at my house," Adrien offered.

"Oh no, we couldn't possibly do that! We wouldn't want to put this on you," Rose said hurriedly.

"No, really, I insist!" Adrien replied. _Does he want us to be there so he has a reason not to get yelled at,_ Marinette wondered. She knew she wouldn't get yelled at if friends were over, so maybe that's what Adrien was going for. " _Nathalie's going to kill me when she finds out about this."_ Adrien's words rang in her head. Normally she'd agree with Rose. She didn't want to just pop into the Agreste Mansion with no prior notice. But she didn't want Adrien to get yelled at. Maybe if they went, they could stall it (or maybe even stop it from happening altogether).

"Adrien, that's so sweet of you. Of course we'd love to come over," Marinette said, giving him a warm smile.

"A-are you sure that'd be okay?" Rose asked. Adrien waved away her concern.

"It'll be fine!" Rose gave him an uncertain smile but said nothing. A few moments later they pulled into the Agreste's garage and Adrien was shepherding them out, letting them follow him into his house. Rose seemed a little starstruck, staring in awe as they walked through the manor. Marinette and Alya probably had a similar look when they first came here, but the initial glory of the Agreste Mansion was long gone. They went up two flights of stairs and down a corridor that looked rather deserted. But then again, with only Adrien and his father living in the huge house, Marinette figured everywhere would looked deserted. Adrien tentatively opened a door at the far corner before pushing it open.

The room itself wasn't that big. And judging from the layer of dust gathering on the few tables and the stereo system, it had been awhile since someone last stepped foot in here.

"Okay, I gotta ask. Why do you have a dance room in your house?" Alya asked, looking from Adrien to the huge mirrors that hung along one side of the wall.

"My mom did a lot of ballet and heels dancing," Adrien replied. "You guys can rehearse and I'll dust this place off."

"We can help!" Rose offered. Adrien shook his head.

"Nah, I got it. Thank you for offering though." Alya raised an eyebrow at Marinette as Adrien left to get cleaning supplies.

"You gotta marry him and get this house," she said, making Marinette squeak and Rose laugh. Despite the lack of use over the years, the stereo worked just fine and the room was just the right size for them. Adrien worked silently around them, dusting and cleaning off the few furniture pieces in the room. Every so often Marinette would catch his eye and he'd give her a small smile before getting back to work.

It was getting close to dinner and the girls knew it was time to head home. Rose waved goodbye to her dance partners and Adrien as her mother called her to meet her out front. A few moments later Alya was gone as well, leaving Adrien and Marinette alone.

"I'm sorry about this," she said. "I know it's probably not easy for you to be in a room your mom loved."

"It's not, but she'd want people using it," he replied. He sat down against a wall and motioned for Marinette to join him. She obliged. "Truthfully, I think she'd want me dancing with you guys." Marinette giggled.

"Dancing with you would be fun," she said.

"You know, I have that song on my phone," he said, a mischievous, Chat Noir-like grin spreading on his lips. "We could dance right now."

"Right now?"

"No time like the present." He stood up and bowed, offering his hand to Marinette. Giggling and feeling elation burst into her bloodstream, she stood up and let him lead her to the stereo. As soon as the song played the two moved, dancing around each other. They were both laughing as they went through movements, Marinette practicing the actual dance and Adrien improvising, at least until it came to the last part. Man, he picks up on dances really fast, she thought as he joined her in doing the last bits of choreography.

"You learned this just by watching us?" she asked.

"Of course. What kind of dancer do you take me for?" This was a whole new side of him. She'd never realized how much like Chat Noir he could be. That devilish attitude, that brazen confidence, but somehow it didn't seem alien to her. Adrien acting like this didn't seem odd, only new and exciting. She was learning more and more about Adrien and if he was acting this comfortable around him, that had to mean something, right?

The song ended and they stopped dancing, huge grins on their faces. Adrien went over to his phone and gave Marinette a sly look.

"How about one more song? And it certainly _won't_ be a slow song, I promise." he asked. She laughed at his blatant lie, covering her smile with her hands and Adrien could feel his heart racing. _I don't need to be keep up this perfect façade,_ he thought, looking at her in amazement. _I can actually be myself around Marinette._


	6. Love Novels (Remix)

Although she didn't have any stage experience, Marinette figured she had stage fright. Now now that she was in the locker room, backstage for the talent show, she knew her assumption was correct. She was terrified at the thought of going out and performing for everyone. _Now's not the time to get scared! You need to go out and win Adrien's heart and help Rose win Juleka's,_ she told herself. Her fingers were fidgeting with the big bow in her hair. Alya slapped at her, giving her a stern look.

"You're going to ruin your hair if you keep playing with it." Marinette grimaced and put her hands in her lap. The Lovestruck Three! were already dressed and had nothing to do but wait. Marinette and Alya were going to sneak out to see Adrien and Nino's act, but they still had a few minutes to do that. The two boys were pacing back and forth on their side of the locker room, both looking credibly nervous. Marinette stood up and went over to them

"You guys look so tight. Amazing job on the costumes," Nino complimented her. She beamed.

"Thanks! You guys look awesome too!" She wasn't sure exactly how they'd made their costumes. It looked like they had broken a whole bunch of glowsticks and put the gel on white clothes. Both were wearing huge headphones but Adrien's was the only one that had a headset mic attached. "I'm really excited to see your act. You're going to do great," Marinette encouraged them, putting a hand on Adrien's shoulder. He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug.

"And I know you're going to be great out there," he said quietly. From her spot nearby, Chloé snorted and rolled her eyes, effectively ruining the moment. Adrien broke the hug, but one hand stayed on her shoulder.

"Adrien, don't even bother giving her false hope. She and her little group are going to be terrible," she said. Marinette glared at the girl. _This from the girl that only got moderate applause?_

"Come on Chloé, that's a terrible thing to say," Adrien replied. Marinette could feel his grip on her getting tighter and tighter. If he wasn't careful, she knew she'd get a bruise there.

"But it's true. They're going to suck. Honestly, you think you can sing and dance. Everyone's going to laugh at you when you go out there. You might as well give up," Chloé said with a short shrug.

"You know, Chloé? I've seen them and they're all amazing. They put a lot of hard work into this. They probably put in more work than you did. All you care about is tearing people down and I'm sick of it. If you aren't going to be nice, just shut up." Marinette froze. Did Adrien, _Adrien,_ just chew out Chloé? What alternate world had she fallen into? The Adrien beside her was not the one she knew; no, in that moment, he seemed so aggressive and if she was being honest with her, it was something that reminded her of Chat when he was enraged.

The blonde girl was flustered and stormed away into the bathroom, leaving an awkward silence. Adrien relaxed ever so slightly. He seemed to realize he had a death grip on Marinette's shoulder and let go of her.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Nino clapped his hands and put her arms around Adrien and Marinette.

"I can't believe you just did that! She looked _so_ pissed!" he said gleefully.

"I'm probably going to regret that later, but she needed to hear it," Adrien replied. Marinette's eyes flitted to the monitor set up in the room. It showed Mylene and Ivan getting on stage.

"Hey, you guys are up next. You should get your stuff ready," she said. Nino grinned and sped off. Adrien shot her one last look.

"You'll come see us, right?" he asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied. He winked at her and trailed after Nino. An awkward squawk left her lips as Alya grabbed her shoulders.

"Adrien just winked at you!" she said excitedly. The girls squealed and quickly made their way out of the locker room and to the back of the crowd. It wasn't like they had to walk beside the audience, so slipping out was fairly easy. She felt butterflies in her stomach as the act ended and Adrien and Nino took the stage, dragging their equipment on with them.

"Do you think we should have helped them?" Alya asked. Marinette shrugged. Sabrina, the announcer for the show, came on stage once the boys gave her the all clear.

"Piano and techno music? Say what? As odd as it sounds, our next act shows that they actually go well together! Performing 'Echo' by Crusher-P, please welcome the radical duo of Adrien and Nino!" she said. Alya snorted as she joined in the applause.

"Ten euros says Nino wrote their intro," she snickered. Sabrina left the stage and the act began.

Adrien's fingers gracefully pressed the keys, lovely notes rising from the instrument. Clearly, all of those piano classes and practices had paid off. Marinette melted into a puddle as Adrien started singing. _I had no idea he was so good! Gah, he's amazing._ She pulled her phone out and started recording him; this was definitely something she wanted to listen to again.

Alya and a few of their classmates in the audience hooted as Nino came in, dropping the bass right off that bat and distorting Adrien's voice and the piano as well as adding his own music to the song. The girls smiled at each other as they danced in their spots, moving to the gorgeous piano music, Nino's electronic track, and Adrien's smooth (albeit twisted) voice.

When they finished, Marinette joined in those cheering loudly, hands clapping as hard and fast as she could make them go. Nino waved cheerfully to the crowd while Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish smile. They pulled their equipment offstage and Alya and Marinette went back into the bathroom.

"Ah, he's so talented!" Marinette moaned, starry-eyed and clasping her hands together.

"You guys are going to have talented babies," Alya teased her.

"We're not even dating!" Marinette told her.

" _Yet,"_ she devilishly grinned. Marinette laughed and the girls went towards the locker room. Through the open door, Marinette could see Adrien and Nino coming in through the main entrance. She let Alya in front of her and switched courses, heading towards the boys. A loud shout broke the quiet chatter of the room. Marinette whipped her head to the side and found Alya sprawled out on the floor and Chloé walking away from her.

"What the hell?!" Alya shouted at her. Marinette got on her knees and helped her friend up as a fwe rushed over to help.

"What? I didn't do anything," Chloé replied.

"I just saw you trip Alya!" Rose cried as she helped Marinette support their friend.

"Don't blame me for her clumsiness."

"Chloé -" Marinette put her arm out, stopping Nino in his tracks before he got to Chloé. The blonde gave them a condescending smirk before walking away. Marinette and Rose helped Alya onto a bench.

"Does it hurt?" Nino asked worriedly as he took the spot next to Alya. Marinette could already see violet bruises blossoming on her ankle. It looked as if Chloé hadn't just tripped Alya; she had kicked her.

"No, not at all," Alya responded sarcastically.

"Gah, what are we going to do! We're on in ten minutes!" Rose cried, pulling at her hair fretfully.

"I can't do it. There's no way I can stand on it," Alya said.

"How are we going to do this? We can't just drop out!" Marinette said. Right now she wanted nothing more than for Alya to be better and to punch Chloé in the face, but the latter wouldn't help anyone. "Maybe if we just wrap your ankle tight enough -"

" _I can't do it."_ Alya was biting back tears and Marinette fell silent. The brunette leaned against Nino, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I'll do it," Adrien said quietly. All eyes turned to him.

"What?" Rose demanded.

"I know the song and I know the dance. I'll take Alya's spot," he said, raising his voice and sounding stronger. "And besides, I've always wanted to be a school idol," he added with a grin.

"That's impossible. How do you know the dance?" Alya questioned.

"Marinette taught it to me." _I what? I only taught the dance to . . . OH MY GOD._ Alya whipped her head to Marinette.

"You taught him our dance?!" she demanded.

"I, well . . ." Marinette laughed nervously and shrugged.

"You don't have a costume, though," Rose pointed out.

"I'll just wear Alya's," he said.

"I could make alterations to it. I brought sewing stuff in case something went wrong," Marinette said. As sour as she looked, Alya nodded. The girls helped her out of her costume and back into her street clothes. As soon as she shed an article, Adrien hurriedly put it on. Overall, it wasn't too bad. The shirt was too short and showed part of his midriff and his shorts were too big in the waist, but it wasn't anything too bad. Rose went to go see Sabrina to edit their introduction card while Marinette led Adrien to her locker. She pulled out her supplies and started taking in the waistband of his, or rather Alya's, shorts. Silence fell between them. Frankly, she didn't know what to say. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste were one in the same. She felt like they should talk, but not here. It'd be too risky.

"Do you need help? I know how to fix clothes," Adrien told her, breaking the silence.

"No, it's fine. We won't need a lot of fixes. Just taking in the pants and the shirt," she said. She paused, wondering if it was the right time to broach the subject. "I think we should talk tonight." His face fell.

"We probably should," he sighed. "I just want to say I'm sorry for lying to you. I -"

"I admit I feel sad about that, but I can't feel that bad. After all, I'm doing the same to you." Her eyes flitted up to his, watching his face go from remorse to complete shock.

"Wait, _what?!"_ he demanded. "You . . . oh my God." He clutched his head. Marinette giggled and cut the thread. She had to admit, his confused face was pretty adorable.

"As I said, we have a lot to talk about." She winked and by the time Rose came back after editing their introduction card, Adrien was ready to go as the newest member of Lovestruck Three! They moved to the small backstage area, watching as Kim and Alix did their rollerskate routine together. _Who knew they worked so well together?_

As Kim and Alix finished and came off stage, the three hurried on and got into place. It was dark and Marinette's heart was pounding. She stole a glance at the huge audience. No doubt everyone had their family attend. _I can do this._ We _can do this._ As they got into their starting pose, Sabrina walked to the corner of the stage, their intro card and a mic in hand.

"The next act we're about to see are warriors who fight for joy, love, and musical harmony! Taking a page from Japan's school idols, they promise to dance and sing their way into your hearts! Please welcome our very own school idol group, Lovestruck Three!, starring Rose de Champlain, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and . . . Adrien Agreste?" Sabrina sounded completely dumbfounded and Marinette couldn't blame her. No one could have seen this coming. But it was one plot twist that Marinette felt grateful for. They were getting their wish of dancing with each other.

The lights came up on them and their music started. Marinette had to agree, the first few bars of the song were the scariest. She had no idea how the crowd would react, but it was clear after the three started singing and dancing, the crowd was taken in. She pushed the worries that remained to the back of her mind and poured her heart and soul into her performance.

She had never felt so alive as she danced. The smile on her face could light a skyscraper and the energy flowing through her veins was electric. Stealing glances at Adrien, she had never seen him so happy and so energized. It was as if he was a completely new person and his joy only boosted her own. The crowd was loving them and they were having fun.

As they struck their final pose, Adrien and Marinette turned back to back. She felt his hand, the one closest to the audience, grab her hand and she followed his lead, squeezing it back.

Just hearing the applause and see the crowd cheer for them was enough to send an addictive high through Marinette's body. _They loved us!_ she thought in delight as the lights dimmed and she, Rose, and Adrien made their way back to the backstage area with the other participants. Marinette wanted to jump around and scream, she had so much pent-up energy just from seeing the crowd. Alya, riding piggyback on Nino, high-fived them.

"You did amazing!" she said in a hushed whisper as Principal Damocles took the stage and said a few words before inviting the participants onstage. Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand and led her onstage. She, in turned, grabbed Rose, who grabbed Nino. The five walked in a chain and stood proudly in the front, taking a bow with the rest of their school.

The talent show ended and as soon as Damocles let the students into the audience to see family, Juleka ran up to Rose and her group.

"You were amazing up there!" she said, giving Rose a hug. "'Love Novels' is my favorite song and you did a great job on it!"

"Thank you!" Rose said. "I picked it just for you."

"You did?"

"I did! I love you Juleka, and I wanted to pick a song that I knew would make you happy." Marinette had to hold back squeals of delight as Juleka smiled and kissed Rose. Adrien put his arm over Marinette, gaining her attention.

"That could be us, but you playin'," he said. Marinette rolled her eyes and gently hit his shoulder.

"That could be us, but you make awful jokes," she returned. He smirked and for a moment, she thought he was going to lean in and kiss her. And maybe he would have if his father and Nathalie hadn't approached them. Nino took this as his time to leave, taking Alya with him as he walked away.

"I didn't know you were doing two acts," Gabriel said.

"It was a last-minute thing," Adrien shrugged.

"Our third member got hurt and Adrien offered to take her spot," Marinette explained.

"I was wondering about that, since Adrien's costume is obviously made for a girl. They're very good costumes," he said.

"Marinette made them," Adrien piped up. Gabriel turned to Marinette, giving her a terse nod.

"Excellent work," he said before turning to Adrien. "You did very well tonight. I'm pleased you used your piano and dance skills."

"Thank you." Adrien was positively glowing and Marinette couldn't help but feel happy for him. Nathalie whisked Gabriel away, stating they had a conference call soon and Adrien's driver would take him home, but even though the visit was short Adrien looked so happy he looked as if he'd explode from the joy at any moment. Marinette put her arm around his waist and squeezed him.

"You really did great tonight," she told him. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.

"You did too, my Lady," he said. Marinette heard shouting and saw her parents waving to her. She grinned.

"Do you want to come with?" she asked.

"Of course. I should probably meet my girlfriend's parents," he said with a wink that made her melt. Taking his hand, she pulled him over to her parents. Tonight had been full of surprises, but Marinette wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
